With the action RPG, Phantom Blade Zero, rapidly approaching its launch date later this month, fans have seemingly discovered that the game will unfortunately be lacking a physical version, at least at launch. It’s been a lengthy development road for the wuxia action RPG, Phantom Blade Zero, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel as the game’s launch date is rapidly approaching.
Physical media has become a massive discussion point for video game fans, with a number of controversies really putting the spotlight on the themes of digital media and ownership. Things seemingly came to a head when Sony announced the end of physical media in 2028, with PlayStation fully embracing the digital era. Some games like GTA 6 have also moved away from producing physical discs, instead putting a digital code inside the box. While many fans have rallied to continue supporting physical games, it seems another PlayStation 5 console exclusive won’t be available on disc at launch.
Phantom Blade Zero Won’t Have a Physical Version At Launch
While Phantom Blade Zero has been featured heavily in marketing efforts and trailers, one aspect that fans weren’t sure about was whether the game would get an actual physical release. One user contacted the retailer Play-Asia to try and get answers and, unfortunately, it seems Phantom Blade Zero won’t be available as a physical copy. What’s unknown is if S-Game will eventually release a physical version, but for now, players will have to grab a digital version when the game launches on October 29.
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Unfortunately, at the time of publication, S-Game or the official Phantom Blade Zero has not commented on the questions surrounding a potential physical version release. Despite the recent delay of Phantom Blade Zero, which pushed the game from its early September launch to the end of October, and closer to the release of GTA 6, anticipation continues to be very high for the game. In September, the game even achieved a major milestone as it was wishlisted over 3 million times on Steam alone. Alongside the surprising reveal of Donnie Yen as a creative consultant as well as a main antagonist, that anticipation has only continued to grow, though it’ll be interesting to see if that sentiment changes at all with a lack of a physical edition.
While it doesn’t seem that Sony is backing down from its digital games stance, the company has seen considerable backlash online, not just for the physical disc announcement, but many other decisions it has been making as of late as well. Even former leadership members, like Shawn Layden and Shuhei Yoshida, have offered their opinions on the current direction of Sony. Layden recently criticized Sony over its decision to effectively end physical game production, expressing his belief that Sony is underestimating the group of fans who enjoy purchasing physical media and that the biggest problem with moving to digital only is what it means for ownership of that product.
The discussion surrounding games and whether they’ll be getting a physical version has gotten so loud that some developers have made a point to confirm when their game will be available on disc, such as Insomniac confirming Marvel’s Wolverine being available as physical media. Even Final Fantasy 7 Revelation game director Naoki Hamaguchi got in on the discussion, confirming he pushed Square Enix to ensure there would be a physical version of the game, though players will still need to download portions of the game even if they have a physical copy due to the game’s overall size and not wanting to split it up on multiple discs.
